Women content creators on TikTok & misinformation on post-poll violence in India
This week we take a look at how old and unrelated videos and images have been shared on social media in India as post-poll violence in the state of West Bengal. In Africa and Asia, we take a look at how Instagram has been exploited to traffic women into a life of servitude in the Arabian Gulf. On the other hand in Africa, women content creators are using TikTok to highlight and discuss important issues affecting them and fellow citizens.
This week we celebrated World Press Freedom Day on May 3. We're proud and happy that Rappler CEO and Meedan Board of Directors member Maria Ressa was awarded a prestigious press freedom award from UNESCO. In case you missed our event to mark World Press Freedom Day, you can catch the recording on YouTube. We acknowledged and celebrated the work of women journalists from Indonesia, Mexico, Lebanon and Kenya.
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Bengal Post-Poll Violence: Deaths, Misinformation & Politics (The Quint)
The Indian state of West Bengal witnessed multiple incidents of political violence ever since the declaration of the Legislative Assembly election results. Amid this post-poll violence, social media is rife with old, unrelated and out-of-context videos and images claimed to be from the recent incidents.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought from the West Bengal government a report on "the instances of post-election violence targeting Opposition political workers in the state". It is, however, important to note that the developments came at a time when the new government is yet to be sworn in and the state is technically under the Governor's rule.
Warning: The story includes distressing videos and images.
"Amid this (post-poll violence in West Bengal), fake news found a new ground for propagation over WhatsApp and social media. Old and unrelated videos are being passed off as visuals of the recent political violence."
Instagram fuels rise in black-market sales of maids into Persian Gulf servitude (The Washington Post)
Unlicensed agents have exploited Instagram to traffic women predominantly from Africa and Asia into a life of servitude in the Arabian Gulf. The Washington Post identified more than 200 accounts that "marketed" women as maids in countries like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
"They advertise us on social media, then the employer picks. Then we are delivered to their house. We are not told anything about the employers. You’re just told to take your stuff, and a driver takes you there.” — Vivian from Kenya
These female African content creators are using TikTok for more than just dance videos (Global Voices)
A growing number of African women content creators on TikTok are using the platform to highlight and discuss issues that affect them and their fellow citizens, including politics, food scarcity, and bad governance. TikTok is growing in popularity in Africa, and these content creators are using the app for more than just lip-syncing dance routines and viral challenges, bringing in political satire, analysis, and a humanitarian focus.
Although TikTok's largest user bases are still outside of Africa, it seems that moves by its parent company ByteDance to woo young African creatives to the platform are paying off.
Rappler’s Maria Ressa gets prestigious UNESCO press freedom award (Rappler)
Rappler CEO Maria Ressa received a prestigious press freedom award from UNESCO for her fight for free speech in the Philippines, serving as a model for journalists under siege around the world.
Ressa was awarded the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on Sunday, May 2, the eve of World Press Freedom Day. The prize, which is worth $25,000, "recognizes outstanding contributions to the defense or promotion of press freedom especially in the face of danger."
"Maria Ressa's unerring fight for freedom of expression is an example for many journalists around the world. Her case is emblematic of global trends that represent a real threat to press freedom, and therefore to democracy." — Italian investigative journalist Marilu Mastrogiovanni, chair of the Prize's international jury
Meedan Updates
Defending Media Freedom in 2021: Check Global Network event to mark World Press Freedom Day
If you missed our event and panelists on World Press Freedom Day, watch the recording on YouTube.
Panelists: Devi Asmarani from Magdalene, Indonesia, Lara Bitar from The Public Source, Lebanon, Tania Montenegro from Animal Politico, Mexico and Asha Mwilu from Debunk Media